International Conference

The Ptolemaic and Seleucid empires are usually studied separately, or otherwise included into broader studies of the Hellenistic World. The present conference proposes a more systematic comparison of the roles of local elites and local populations in the construction, negotiation, and adaptation of political, economic, military and ideological power of these multi-ethnic empires. They are sufficiently similar to make comparisons valid, while in the process of comparing them differences should become more salient and better explained. Regions that were successively included in the Ptolemaic and then Seleucid empires deserve particular attention, but can only be understood within a broader picture of the ruling strategies of both empires.

The papers are organized along three main lines of research for examining the role and the level of integration of the local populations. The first line explores forms of communication as can be observed from coins, inscriptions and visual culture. The second explores the effects of settlement policies on the relationship between rulers, immigrants and local populations. The third assesses how local priestly elites collaborated with and resisted against the new ruling classes and immigrant populations. All three lines will shed different light on the development of communication, monarchic ideology, royal and dynastic cult, as well as on the mediation between competing ruling coalitions.

The concluding remarks will be delivered by Prof. John Ma (University of Oxford)

Sponsored by the German Research Council (DFG), the Alexander-von-Humboldt-Stiftung, the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität of Freiburg, the American Friends of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the University of Southern California

For further enquiries, please contact fischerb<at>usc.edu or Sitta.von.Reden<at>geschichte.uni-freiburg.de